THIS IS THE SITE TO FIND HOMEWORK, ASSIGNMENT DIRECTIONS AND DUE DATES
Intro and Policy Information for Mrs. Mergner's Classes 2019-2020 School Year
Mother Catherine Academy “Home of the MCA Saints” MRS. MERGNER Back to School Packet
August 23, 2019
Dear MCA Middle School Parents, Guardians, and Students,
I wish to welcome everyone to MCA for the new academic year; it promises to be both challenging and rewarding. It is hard to imagine that the summer is so close to being over and that classes are starting in a couple of days. We are trading in suitcases for book bags and bathing suits for uniforms... but most of us are ready to get back to our friends and the structure that the new school year will bring.
This year I will be sharing the 6th grade homeroom moderator duties with Mr. Kramer, and I am excited about the opportunity to have the rising 6th graders as my “family” in homeroom.
In addition, this year my role will change slightly as I will be teaching only the Religion and Vocabulary classes for the middle school level. Over the past 18 years, I have taught all middle school levels of Language Arts, Reading, and Religion in different combinations. This year the mantle of Language Arts together with the Reading curriculum will pass to Ms. Pickeral, and I will work together with her in my capacity of vocabulary teacher to meet the academic needs of our middle school students in ELA instruction. The Middle School curriculum will again incorporate the Sadlier-Oxford series for vocabulary instruction for all middle school students. Expectations in these areas for all students will be outlined in class the first week of school. These areas will supplement the classroom Reading curriculum, the basis of which will continue to expose our children to a variety of literature. I believe my job is to challenge each student to develop active reading and critical thinking skills which in turn prepare them to succeed in the higher learning environments of high school and college.
Religion instruction for all classes will use the Faith and Life Series. The 6th Grade curriculum will be devoted to the study of the Ten Commandments and the Mass in a way that helps to direct the individual student’s formation of conscience and to provide guidance in living the Teachings of Christ in order to live a Christian life. In 7th grade, the Religion curriculum explores God’s Plan of Salvation through Revelation and Scripture. We will relate this to the Life of Grace in the Traditions and sacramental life of the Church in a way that helps the student to live the moral life to which we are all called by Christ. Finally, In 8th Grade Religion, the focus will be on preparation for receiving the Sacrament of Confirmation and the role of each individual as a member of the Body of Christ, the Church, in carrying Jesus’s teachings to the world in the current age; we will study the role of the Holy Spirit in the Church as she is today and in her history from the time of the early Christians. This focus on the role of the Holy Spirit in Church History will be addressed as part of God’s overall Plan of Salvation which has existed since Time began. I look forward to a productive year of learning. Please know that I see all my students as my own “children” and that I want the same thing for each student that their loved ones at home want, and that is for each and every student to feel safe and secure, to be respected for the talents that each brings to the school community, and to be given the opportunity to learn to the best of their ability.
Homework, long term assignment and project details can be accessed on my webpage which can be viewed through our school’s website, www.mothercatherine.org. From the homepage, the student and the parent can access the individual classroom assignments by clicking on the Our Classrooms tab and then their grade level from the drop down menu on the right hand side of the page. **Please note that Middle School teachers will each have a personal webpage that will address the homework and project assignments for their particular subject areas. My personal webpage, will list information for the following subject areas: 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Vocabulary6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Religion****Please make note of special requirements and links provided for academic success as identified on my webpage. GRADING POLICIES- Grades are earned, not given! Student grades will be a compilation of quiz, test, homework, and class participation grades in all my subject areas. The percentages to which these parameters are factored into a student’s grade are as follows: 6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Religion: Chapter quizzes (with glossary terms and Confirmation ques.)—30% ****8th grade Daily Prayer will count as a QUIZ grade Unit tests (most projects assigned fall into the test category) —40% Homework --15% Class participation – 15%
6th, 7th, and 8th Grade Language Arts, Reading, and Vocabulary: Quizzes –30% Tests –40% Homework –15% Class participation – 15%
HOMEWORK and PROJECT Due Dates are subject to a "3-strikes you're out!" Policy -- for every day an assignment is late from the date it is due, a student has 2 more chances (original date Plus two more days) to turn in the assignment for HW credit. For each day the assignment is late, the HW credit will drop by 10 points. After the third day, the assignment will be given a "zero" for HW credit. IF the assignment is a project, the project will still be accepted after three days (NOT counting excused absences) and graded, but not receive HW credit. *****The above HW/ Project Due Dates Policy does NOT apply to the 8th Grade Religion Daily Prayer assignment which is given a quiz grade.
Please contact me if there is ever a concern about your child’s performance or welfare. I can be reached at school until 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. most afternoons with the exception of Tuesdays, or by email at [email protected] Sincerely, Mrs. Mergner